St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-04-23
a COSTLY FIRE.
Eurniu. of John J. McGrath's Immense
wall Paper Establishment in Chicago,
Accompanied by Loss of Life-The Loss
of propertY Estilnated at Half a Million.

burning of John j. McGrath's Immense
wall Paper Establishment in Chicago,
Accompanied by Loss of Life-Ihe Loss
of Property Estimated at Half a Million
CHICAGO, April l3.--JOhn J. McGrath's
wall paper establishment Nos. l06 to III
| Wabash avenue. the largest and finest IN
| the city, and ono Of the most extensive IN
the country, was totally destroyed by fire
| between three and four O'Clock this morn
| ing. The fire was already under great
! Roadway when Il private Waterman dis
| covered smoke and flame issuing from
| the roof way TO the back Of the building.
| He turned i'll M alarm, but before the fire
| department arrived the business
portion Of the city was iliH-
minated by the glarr, and
| general alarm was sent in immediately.
This brought out all the apparatus that
could possibly find space to work in, and
streams of water were poured upon the
burning building from the front and rear,
and also from the roofs Of ad joining build
ings. Long before four o'clock one Of the
costliest stocks of paper in the country
was being carried skyWard and dlstrlb
uted in blazing sheets over the city. The
upper floors had fallen and the building
was to all appearance completely guttci.
:
| being dropped upon the first hoor, and it
| seemed utterly impossible that any por-
| ton Of the building could be saved.
| AS soon as it became it apparent that
| the building and its contents were doomed
| to total destruction. the iircmen turned
| their attention TO the buildings on either
! side.
| On the north stood the tine tiVe-story
building once occupied by \. f. Stewart
& Co, and now occupied by Keith, Ben
| ham Il Dezcndorf, wholesale hardware
dealers. This building, mum bered from
| IS to 10t inclusive, was well pr0te ctcd
| by Il strong fire wall and sue
! ccssfully resisted the flames. as did
the building on the south. also tivcstOry
| structure 1t is occupied by o. B. Tennis
| & Co., millinery: n. +. Sproehnle q Co,
| jewellers; T, B. Smith, straw goods; l..
f. Crandali q Co.. and T. D. Marsh 4 Co
None Of the tenants suffered any loss. OK
| cept possibly 81 ght damage by water.
J. J. McGrath was said to be the owner
of the building Nos. 106 to 112. which is
| about eighty feet front by 80 deep 1t
was a stone front and cost about $3.50,
600 Mr.. McGrath's stock was valued, 1t
is said, at nearly half million Of dollars.
Both stock and building are an almost to-
tai loss
Shortly after four o'clock Captain Fred
Refs of truck No. , was standing in the
| alley IN the rear of the building, when
| several large stones fell from the top Of
the building One of them struck Refs on
| the left Ieg, fracturing it. He was taken
! to his home.
1t is thought that man belonging to
the truck is imprisoned in the building.
! He was at work on the first floor when
| the roof and upper floors fell through.
At half-past four o'clock John Heberlic.
! lieutenant of Engine Company No. 81, was
| badly, possibly fatally, hurt The mem
bers of No. 3? hoistcd 4 ladder up to the
| south window of the McGrath building,
and Hebcrlic started up with line of
hose As he reached the top Of the ladder
| the slippery condition of the sidewalk
! caused the ladder, which was not braced,
to slide outward. Heh2rlie fell a dis lance
of twenty feet. alightjng on the back of
| his head. His skull was fractured. He
was conveyed to the 3Ts house on NJ chi
! gan avenue, and at latest accounts was
still unconscious and not expected to Ii re
more than a few hours.
CHICAGO, April l3.-hIchael Burns, of
| truck No. 9. was standing III fourth
j story window when a sncSt Of fame came
! out. envelopeI him and he fell into the
blazing mass.